Doctor Dolittle Inspired Dog Names

Introduction

The 1967 musical fantasy Doctor Dolittle, based on the children’s
stories by Hugh Lofting and starring Rex Harrison in the titular role, is the
tale of a doctor of medicine in a small town who switches from human patients
to animal. In order to properly treat his animal patients, the doctor learns
many animal languages from Polynesia, his 188-year-old parrot, and travels
around the world to help sick or injured creatures. This colorful and fun
adventure geared toward children, while not a critical success, has been loved
by many throughout the years; the song “Talk to the Animals” from the film received
an Oscar for best song and the film itself won an Oscar as well for the Best Special
Effects.

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Doctor Dolittle Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Dog With a Doctor Dolittle Name

Sophie

Sophie, the seal on the show, shares her name with an Australian Cattle Dog who lives near Queensland, that made headlines in 2009 for her extraordinary
swimming adventure. Sophie was accompanying her family on a boating trip off
the Great Barrier Reef in Australia when the yacht hit bumpy waters and the dog
was jostled overboard. Her owners, Jan and David Griffith, searched the waters for
her to no avail and went home distraught believing their beloved pet had
drowned. They were wrong. Instead, the determined dog swam six miles through
oceans infested by sharks to reach a tropical island known as St. Bees. Once on
land, Sophie was on her own. She was seen by a handful of the island residents,
initially quite skinny and bedraggled, but the dog soon learned to subsist by hunting
and killing the wild goats in the area. She was eventually captured by rangers
who patrol the area and returned to the Griffiths, where she was quite
pleased to readjust to the comforts of being the family dog.

Rex Harrison was known to be an abrupt man, even with his fans, but as
an actor was able to master many different roles, from serious dramas, like the
1963 historical drama Cleopatra, to lighter
fare, like Doctor Dolittle. Military working dog Rex was described by handlers as aggressive, independent, and macho,
but he was also a star in his field. One of the first dogs sent to Iraq with
his handler Mike Dowling, Rex never faltered in his duties as either
bomb-sniffing dog or a patrol animal, inspiring Mike Dowling to write the
autobiographical novel “Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and
His Working Dog” outlining their experiences together. Rex was later paired
with marine Megan Leavey with whom he completed more than 100 missions between
2003 and 2006 when a deeply buried bomb gravely wounded both of them. Megan was
awarded the Purple Heart and Rex was returned to service with a new handler. When
Rex became unable to do his duties due to illness in 2011, Megan fought to have
him returned to her in the United States to live out the remainder of his life,
rather than have the military euthanize
him. With the help of Mike Dowling and Senator Chuck Schumer, the war hero was allowed to return to Megan in the states in
April of 2012, living with her in comfort until his death in December of that
year, taken, like Rex Harrison was in 1990, by cancer.

Doctor Dolittle Inspired Dog Name Considerations

Unlike Doctor Dolittle, most pet parents do not have the ability to ask
our animals what they think their name is. Instead, we have to choose a name
for them, one that not only suits them
but one that we don’t mind repeating several times a day or shouting across a
crowded dog park. There are many names that may be inspired by the 1967 musical,
Doctor Dolittle, and many methods that can be used to narrow down the choices
for your specific dog. Some people may choose to name their dog to honor one of
their favorite human characters on the show, choosing a name like Mathew, Emma,
or Willie, or perhaps a favorite animal on the show, like Gub-Gub the pig, Polynesia
the parrot, or even General Bellowes' loyal Mastiff, Rufus. Other people may prefer to focus on locations that are
found in the film, naming their canine Puddleby or Sea Star, some may even choose
a name that reflects the actual location where the film was shot, such as Combe,
for Castle Combe in Wiltshire, England, while other fans of the show may prefer
to use slightly more obscure references, naming
their dog Flounder after the good doctor’s ship or Moonbird, after the Great
Crested Oriental Moonbird that is seen on Sea Star Island.

Male Doctor Dolittle Inspired Dog Names

Votes

Name

Vote

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Albert

Albert Blossom is the owner of Albert’s Circus

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Atlantic

The ocean that the adventurers are exploring is the Atlantic ocean

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Camel

The first sick animal we see released from quarantine on the island is a camel and her baby

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Cheddar

Mathew Mugg sings “My Friend the Doctor” to Tommy Stubbins; “My friend the doctor says the sun is made of cheddar cheese…”

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Chee-Chee

A chimpanzee that lives at Dr. Dolittle’s house

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Circus

Dr. Dolittle sells the pushmi-pullyu's services to the circus then liberates Sophie the seal

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Dab-Dab

The duck that lives with Dr. Dolittle

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Dolphin

A dolphin helps to guide the adventurers to Sea Star Island after the storm

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Dr. Dolittle

A doctor who chooses to work with animals rather than people, then proceeds to learn the languages of his patients

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Flounder

Dr. Dolittle’s ship is called the Flounder

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Fred

When Emma Fairfax says that she would act differently if she were a man, Mathew teases her by calling her Fred Fairfax

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General Bellowes

A retired military commander who does not approve of Dr. Dolittle’s eccentricities; also the father of Emma Fairfax

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Gub-Gub

The pet pig of Dr. Dolittle

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Irishman

Mathew Mugg is an Irishman

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Jack

Jack Fich is the highwayman they search the carriages for while Dr. Dolittle is escorting Sophie to Bristol

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Jip

The Labrador Retriever that belongs to Dr. Dolittle

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Long Arrow

Identified as an Indian gentleman and the finest naturalist in the world; sends the Pushmi-Pullyu to the doctor

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Mathew

Mathew Mugg is a friend of the Doctor’s who helps to care for things when Dr. Dolittle is away

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Pushmi

The Pushmi-Pullyu is a fictional double headed llama that enjoys dancing

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Puzzle

Sea Star Island fits as perfectly as a puzzle piece with the continent of Africa

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Rat

The rats on the ship told Dr. Dolittle they were abandoning ship

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Rex

Dr. John Dolittle was played by three-time Tony award-winning actor Rex Harrison

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Rufus

General Bellowes’ dog who is called as a witness at Dr. Dolittle’s trial

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Snail

Dr. Dolittle give the Great Pink Sea Snail medicine to cure its cold and it offered the adventurers a ride to Puddleby

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Strike

All of the animals in England went on strike until Dr. Dolittle was allowed to return home

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Toggle

General Bellowes’ visually impaired horse

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Tommy

Tommy Stubbins is a boy who brings an injured animal to the doctor and then follows him on his adventures

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Vicar

The Vicar visits Dr. Dolittle for allergies before he changes careers from a traditional doctor to a veterinarian

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Whale

A whale helps to push Sea Star Island back on course

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Willie

William Shakespeare the Tenth, the tribal leader of Sea Star Island, prefers to go by Willie

Female Doctor Dolittle Inspired Dog Names

Votes

Name

Vote

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Africa

Sea Star Island was expected to be off the coast of Africa

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Apple Pie

Mathew Mugg sings “My Friend the Doctor” to Tommy Stubbins; “My friend the doctor says the moon is made of apple pie…”

0

Azalea

The Flounder is adorned with geraniums, azaleas, and roses

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Blossom

The name of the circus that the pushmi-pullyu is employed at is Blossom’s Circus

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Bristol

Dr. Dolittle takes Sophie to Bristol to return her to the sea

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Combe

The scenes in the village were filmed in the town of Castle Combe, a village in Wiltshire, England

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Emma

Emma Fairfax is the daughter of General Bellows, a smart and spirited woman who speaks her mind

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Geranium

The Flounder is adorned with geraniums, azaleas, and roses

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Gertie

Gertie Blossom is the wife of the owner of the circus

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Goldfish

The language that Dr. Dolittle is attempting to learn at the beginning of the movie is goldfish

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Lady

Lady Petherington was Dr. Dolittle’s last human patient before turning to healing animals

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Luna

Dr. Dolittle returns to England riding on a Giant Lunar Moth

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Moonbird

A Great Crested Oriental Moonbird can be seen on Sea Star Island; bears a striking resemblance to a yellow chicken

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Mustard

Mustard in a steaming bath was used to help the elephant calf with a cold

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Nelly

Dr. Dolittle and Sophie made the last leg of the journey to Bristol with the help of a mare named Nelly

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Nessie

The Great Pink Sea Snail told the doctor that he would be visiting his cousin in Scotland, the Loch Ness Monster

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Polynesia

A 188-year-old blue and gold Macaw that is able to speak English; taught Dr. Dolittle several animal languages

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Puddleby

The central location of the tale; a small fictional town on the coast of England

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Pullyu

The Pushmi-Pullyu is a fictional double headed llama that enjoys dancing

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Rose

The Flounder is adorned with geraniums, azaleas, and roses

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Sahara

Dr. Dolittle ended up in the Sahara four times because Chee-Chee stuck the pages of the atlas together with jam

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Sam

The actress who played the role of Emma Fairfax was played by Samantha Eggar

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Sarah

Sarah Dolittle is Dr. John Dolittle’s prim and proper sister who disapproves of the doctor’s methods

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Sea Star

When their ship is destroyed in a storm, the four travelers land on Sea Star Island

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Seaweed

Emma convinces the doctor to let her go along by cooking a tasty seaweed pie

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Sheila

A vixen with pups that comes to Dr. Dolittle to hide from General Bellows, who is hunting her

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Skunk

In order to protect foxes from hunters, Dr. Dolittle has a group of volunteer skunks in his barn

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Sophie

Dr. Dolittle rescues Sophie the seal from the circus so she can be reunited with her husband

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Stowaway

Emma is a stowaway on Dr. Dolittle’s boat during the search for the Giant Pink Sea Snail